There is a glaring mismatch between Arvind Kejriwal’s demand for full statehood for Delhi and his sit-in at Raj Niwas ~ a seemingly valid demand has been negated by a puerile bid to hog the headlines. The chief minister of the NCT likes to project himself as thinking big but acts so terribly small that even those who might see merit in enhanced powers for the state government are left wondering if national embarrassment would be risked if the local government had more clout ~ after all he had even threatened to disrupt the Republic Day parade.

It is not surprising that at a point in time when most non-BJP parties are exploring the possibilities of forming another “front” ahead of 2019, the Aam Aadmi Party hardly figures in the calculus. Only Mamata Banerjee sees Kejriwal’s squabble with the BJP as a plus point ~ the grapevine has it she had pressured HD Kumaraswamy to invite him to the recent photo-op at Vidhana Soudha ~ so maybe there’s truth to the old saying that birds of the same (maverick?) feather flock together.

Few other parties seem anxious to hold hands with a young party that has already alienated so many of its founding stalwarts. There are similarities in leadership styles of Kejriwal and many others in politics around the world; leaders who are prone to aggressive posturing and believe that the way up is by pulling others down. Governance in the National Capital is the casualty.

Kejriwal’s sit-in at Raj Niwas to press the Lieutenant-Governor to direct senior officials in the local government to attend “duty” ~ they insist they are not on strike, only declining to attend one-on-one meetings with Delhi Government ministers after the alleged assault on the Chief Secretary at Kejriwal’s residence ~ brought no immediate results, but did attract plenty of media coverage.

So his supporters planned a march on Raj Niwas to up the ante. To be sure Mr Anil Baijal has not handled himself in accordance with the standard spelled out by the first LG, Dr AN Jha, but what did Kejriwal expect by taking possession of the reception room at Raj Niwas? Was he hoping that the police ~ with whom he is also at loggerheads ~ would be summoned to forcibly evict him and a few of his colleagues? Wonder how he would react if his bungalow in Civil Lines was similarly commandeered? That his action has been flayed by both the Congress and the BJP (actually, supported by no other party) suggests the AAP sticks out like a sore thumb in the political arena.

It is also telling that the home ministry, under whom the Lieutenant-Governor functions, has made no visible effort to end the impasse ~ not even waved the threat of invoking Article 356? Is it worried that despite all his several shenanigans Kejriwal’s broom could yet again sweep a Delhi Assembly poll and accelerate an anti-BJP sentiment next summer?